Pasta Party!

Here are six pasta recipes to help you through the day. Enjoy!

FRESH VEGGIE PASTA

This was in the October 2016 issue Runner's World, page 46. Makes 6 to 8 servings. It is adapted from Scratch: Home Cooking for Everyone Made Simple, Fun, and Totally Delicious, by Maria Rodale. Available in October, published by Rodale, owner of Runner’s World.

This can be viewed online at http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/have-a-pasta-party-from-scratch/.

Ingredients

1 lb. thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 small white onion, finely chopped

1 lb. shelled edamame, steamed

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Place tomato, onion, and edamame in large bowl. Drain pasta and add to bowl. Add oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Nutrition Information: Calories per serving (for 6): 511; Protein: 19 g; Carbs: 69 g; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: 5 g; Total fat: 17 g; Saturated fat: 2 g; Sodium: 136 mg

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

This was in the October 2016 issue Runner's World. Makes 1 quart. It is adapted from Scratch: Home Cooking for Everyone Made Simple, Fun, and Totally Delicious, by Maria Rodale. Available in October, published by Rodale, owner of Runner’s World.

This can be viewed online at http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/have-a-pasta-party-from-scratch/.

This recipe begins, “Using the whole tomato, but squeezing out some of the juice, makes it just right.”

Ingredients

5 lb. tomatoes

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 tsp. salt

Leaves from 1 sprig fresh basil

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Cut out any brown spots from the tomatoes, core, halve through the equator, and gently squeeze the juice from the tomatoes. (Don’t squeeze too hard; you still want a bit of juice in there.) Working in batches, place the tomatoes in a food processor or blender with the garlic, salt, and basil and process to combine. If you prefer a chunky tomato sauce, simply cut the tomatoes into quarters and roughly mash with a potato masher. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the tomato pulp, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours, until the sauce has reached your desired consistency. Pour the hot sauce into wide-mouthed glass jars, leaving 1 inch of space at the top for the sauce to expand. Let the jars cool before you put them in the freezer to freeze for up to 10 months (be sure to label and date them!). Makes 1 quart.

Nutrition Information: Calories per 1/2-cup serving: 67; Protein: 3 g; Carbs: 11 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 7 g; Total fat: 2 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Sodium: 305 mg

SLOW COOKER VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

This recipe begins, “This savory, vegetarian lasagna cooks is slow-cooked for three hours for a melt-in-your-mouth meal.”

http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/7424-slow-cooker-vegetarian-lasagna

Ingredients

16 oz partly skim ricotta

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 box lasagna noodles, UNCOOKED

28 oz diced tomatoes, drained

28 oz marinara sauce

1 handful flat leaf parsley, chopped

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

6 oz baby spinach (about 3-4 cups)

Directions

In a medium bowl add ricotta, peppers, red pepper flakes, oregano, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Combine well; set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, and parsley; set aside.

In a 6 quart slow cooker, add about 1 cup of tomato mixture to the bottom (enough to just cover the bottom). Add a layer of noodles on top, breaking to fit. Add half the baby spinach. Add 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, loosely spreading it around with spatula. Top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese then 1/3 of the remaining tomato mixture. Add another layer of noodles, then repeat layering with spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, and tomato mixture. Top with noodle layer, then remaining ricotta, tomatoes, and then mozzarella.

Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or until the noodles are tender. (You may leave the slow cooker on "Warm" until ready to eat).

Remove cover and allow to cook for at least 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

Nutritional Facts: Servings 6; Amount Per Serving: Calories 350; Total Fat 19 g; Saturated Fat 10 g; Cholesterol 55mg; Sodium 840mg; Potassium 1020 mg; Carbohydrate 29g; Dietary Fiber 6g; Protein 19g

CHEESE-STUFFED SHELLS IN MARINARA SAUCE

This is from Familytime, and begins, “A traditional Italian-style favorite is made easier for you! Combine Buitoni Marinara Sauce with stuffed shells, add a tossed salad and warm bread and sit down to a satisfying meal!” Serves: 6; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

12 dried jumbo whole-wheat or regular pasta shells, prepared according to package directions

1 cup (4 ounces)shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, divided

1 cup fat free or reduced-fat ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 container (15 oz.) BUITONI® refrigerated Marinara Sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Combine 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg and pepper in a medium bowl. Stuff each shell evenly with cheese mixture; place in ungreased 12 x 71/2-inch (2-quart rectangular) baking dish. Pour sauce over shells.

Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

For Freeze Ahead:

Prepare as above; do not bake. Do not top with remaining mozarella cheese. Cover; freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

SLOW COOKER MACARONI AND CHEESE

This comes from country music star Trisha Yearwood, who also stars in The Food Network show Trisha’s Southern Kitchen. Total Time: 3 hr 25 min; Prep: 10 min; Cook: 3 hr 15 min; Yield: 12 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/crockpot-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

Cooking spray

8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked

One 12-ounce can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick ) of butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

2 large eggs, beaten

Two 10-ounce bricks sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (about 5 cups)

Dash of paprika

Directions

In a large 4-quart slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray, mix the macaroni, evaporated milk, milk, butter, salt, pepper, eggs and all but 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top of the mixture and then sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours and 15 minutes. Turn off the slow cooker, stir the mixture and serve hot.

SPAETZLE

This is from Mark Bittman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Mark wrote, “Expand the concept of pasta a bit, and you arrive at spaetzle, the quickly made and rather thin dough (somewhat akin to savory pancake batter) that is often “grated” into boiling water on a spaetzle maker, a tool that looks like a grater without sharp edges. I find spaetzle makers unnervingly tricky, so I prefer to do what I've often seen done by Alsatians, for whom spaetzle is traditional: drop the batter by the spoonful into boiling water. As with all pasta, the more fragile the batter is, the lighter the result will be, so don't make it too stiff; just stiff enough to hold together.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes.

This was featured in “THE MINIMALIST; Fresh Pasta At Ferrari Speed” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

Salt

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

3 eggs

1 cup milk, more if needed

2 to 4 tablespoons butter or olive oil

Chopped fresh parsley or chives for garnish

PreparationSet a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. In a bowl, combine flour with pepper and a large pinch of salt. Lightly beat together eggs and milk, and add to flour, stirring. If necessary, add a little more milk until mixture has the consistency of pancake batter.

Scoop a tablespoon or so of batter, and drop it into water; small pieces may break off, but batter should remain largely intact and form a disk. Repeat, using about one-third to one-fourth the batter, depending on the size of the pot. When spaetzle rise to top a couple of minutes later (you may have to loosen them from the bottom, but they will pop right up), cook another minute or so, then remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl of ice water. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

Drain spaetzle; at this point you can toss them with a bit of oil and refrigerate, covered, for up to a day. Heat butter or oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add spaetzle a few at a time, and quickly brown on both sides. Serve hot, garnished with parsley or chives.